Proposed Illinois Bill Lets Fire Protection Districts Dictate Fire Alarm Monitoring
A new bill concerning fire alarm monitoring installation, monitoring and maintenance was proposed by the House of Representatives during the Illinois 97th General Assembly on Feb. 9, 2011.
Titled Fire District Antitrust Exemption, IL HB 1301 would give fire protection districts in the state of Illinois the authority to mandate the use of fire alarm monitoring equipment "in order to improve the response time of the district's fire department to locations equipped with fire alarms thereby saving lives and property and promoting firefighter safety." The bill also states fire protection districts could establish and operate wireless radio networks and monitoring stations, establishing monitoring fees. Under this legislation, fire protection districts would be exempt from antitrust laws.